At first, Justin and Tessa don't seem even remotely compatible. They meet when Justin fills in lecturing for a colleague in the British High Commission. Tessa stands up, raises her voice, and bombards Justin with insinuating questions and comments on the government of Great Britain. She is truly impassioned with her opinions - enough that she continues to cause a scene while the crowd is filing out around her. Because of her obvious anger for Justin's line of work, it is remarkable that the next scene would be a love scene between them.
They say, "opposites attract", and so this is the case with Justin and Tessa. For their relationship to work, Justin must admire Tessa's passionate attitude and Tessa must admire Justin's sweet, unassuming disposition. Whatever the case, the two have a very strong, immediate connection. When Justin has to go to Africa for his work, Tessa begs him to take her along - even if it means she has to accompany him as his wife. Surprisingly, Justin agrees to the marriage proposal. Justin and Tessa's abnormal beginnings are just a precursor to a relationship full of unexpectedness and ambiguity.
We learn that in Africa, the two had made a deal that Tessa's work was her own. Her life was secretive while she was apart from her husband, but (at least in the beginning) the two seemed as normal as every other newly married couple. When Tessa got pregnant, Justin video taped her laughing in the bath, close-ups of her smile, and followed her around the apartment like a puppy dog. Their on-screen love was truly palpable to the audience.
After witnessing the romance, it is no wonder that Justin is completely distraught after learning that Tessa had been murdered. Since he was never informed of the work that Tessa did in Africa, he had no idea why she would have been killed. The following is a quote from the film:
Tim Donohue: Leave this Justin. Go home.
Justin Quayle: I can't go home. Tessa was my home.
Justin can not simply "go home" as was suggested to him. His admittance that Tessa was his "home" proves that, even though their work lives were separate, Justin feels that his life is completely connected to hers - he can not be home without her. This realization begins Justin's journey to find out the truth of Tessa's death.
This love is arguably the most important relationship of the film because it is the catalyst for Justin's journey. Without the intense feelings for his beloved, he would not have felt the need to investigate Tessa's work. What begins as a sort of curiosity - or perhaps a need for revenge - turns into his realization of the exploitation of the Africans, the exposition of KDH pharmaceuticals, and, eventually, Justin's death.
The last scene in the movie showed Justin waiting at Lake Tukana for his death. He knew that the information he had obtained about KDH made him too dangerous a liability for the company. He would face the same fate as his wife. It is not nearly so sad, though, when he realizes that he would be reunited with his Tessa. He would finally be home.
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